


Look Upon Thy Death

by jadrea



Series: Mae Thompson 'Verse [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bureaucracy, Family Reunions, Gen, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), References to Shakespeare, Starfleet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadrea/pseuds/jadrea
Summary: The Enterprise crew is plunged into fight-or-flight peril with the sudden arrival of McCoy's estranged niece. An old, self-indulgent story. (Written March 2017)
Series: Mae Thompson 'Verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841959
Kudos: 3





	1. Kin

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago, but it still means a great deal to me. Serves as a sort of landmark of where I've been and how far I've come.

The captain drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, sitting back with a pensive frown on his face.

Everyone on the bridge clearly heard the sound, and would look up occasionally to see if they could pinpoint the cause.

It seemed to bother them all, and somewhat get on the nerves of the first officer.

"Captain," Spock began, "you seem to be fixated upon something."

The bridge took in a breath and forgot to let it out.

Kirk looked to the side, not meeting Spock's eye. "You could say that." He twiddled his thumbs. "It's Bones' niece."

"His niece, Captain?"

Kirk nodded. "He said she contacted him out of the blue, for the first time in years. Asked for help, but wouldn't say with what. So I contacted Starfleet for information on her."

Spock raised an eyebrow, prompting.

Kirk leaned back in his chair. "Uhura?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Any word from Starfleet?"

"No, sir, nothing more."

He clasped his hands under his chin and lowered his voice. "Her name is Mae Thompson, she studies at the Academy, or did –she went missing. She volunteered for a survey mission to a deep space quadrant on a ship and was supposed to dock at station K12. Last contact was a few weeks ago, then nothing. Her assigned shuttle is there, and the crew roster on the ship said she was there, but when they checked-"

"She was not," Spock supplied.

Kirk nodded.

"Yet she reached out for help to Doctor McCoy?"

"Mm, she said she was on a planet near K12, but transmission cut out before she could say where."

"Captain, may I ask you not to take my next question personally?"

"Of course, Mr. Spock."

"I notice we are currently entering the quadrant nearest to station K12. Could this perhaps have a direct correlation to Doctor McCoy's niece?"

"Why, Mr. Spock, you wouldn't accuse me of using the Enterprise for personal missions, would you? We just happened to be in the area on Federation business, and it can't hurt to take a look."

"I see."

"Dig up what you can in Starfleet records on Mae, would you? Bones will drive himself completely insane trying to look on his own."

"Yes, Captain."

"You have the bridge, Mr. Sulu," Kirk called.

The Helmsman turned in his seat and acknowledged with a nod, then returned his gaze to the starry void in front of them.

The Captain walked to the lift, arms crossed, drumming his fingers on his arm, deep in thought.

...

Sick bay was vacant when he walked through the doors, their hiss the only sound in the empty room.

"Bones?" he called.

"Back here," came a muffled reply.

Kirk walked through the beds, peering around the corner to see McCoy hunched over his desk, eyes fixed on the screen in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked, rather snappily.

"I have a splitting headache, and it's entirely your fault."

The chief medical officer looked up. "Join the damn club." He sat back and rubbed bleary eyes with a groan.

"When was the last time you slept, Bones?" Kirk asked, leaning against the wall with a concerned frown.

"I sleep plenty," the doctor replied.

"For more than an hour at a time."

He looked back to the screen. "I don't need you playing doctor, Captain, that's my job."

"And it's my job to make sure my crew is fit for duty. And right now, you don't seem to be." He leaned closer. "It's Mae, isn't it? What's keeping you so preoccupied?"

"Jim, we're so close to finding her. I've scoured every communication she sent me, her records from the Academy, the travel logs from the ship she was on-"

"And?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." The Captain found the strange note of desperation in McCoy's voice alarming.

"I've got Spock on it-"

"I don't need help," McCoy snapped, then pressed a hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry, it's-I need to find her."

"We will, Bones," Kirk put a hand out, squeezing his friend's shoulder, "please, get some rest. Have Nurse Chapel take over for you."

McCoy began to protest when the intercom sounded: "Spock to Captain Kirk."

Kirk tapped it to reply, "Yes, Mr. Spock."

"I've found information on Mae Thompson."

"Excellent," Bones sat forward in his chair as Kirk answered, "McCoy is here listening, go ahead."

"She has two entries in Starfleet records."

"Two entries?" McCoy asked.

"Yes, Doctor, one from her time at the Academy and another which is inaccessible."

"What do you mean, 'inaccessible'?"

"Priority-level security, Captain. Open only to a select few."

"Hold on, Spock, we'll be right there."

...

They leaned over Spock's shoulder, staring in bewilderment at the red 'ACCESS DENIED' on screen.

Bones had his arms crossed and was weaving back and forth slightly as he stood, the dark circles under his eyes from days without sleep casting his whole face in shadow. Kirk had one hand on his hip and the other on the back of his first officer's chair.

"Try my security clearance," he suggested, and Spock entered the code.

"Go ahead."

"Kirk, James T.," Kirk said.

"Access denied."

Kirk's eyebrows knit together. "Kirk, James Tiberius," he tried again.

"Access denied."

"Son of a-" McCoy began, but Spock interrupted.

"Perhaps, Captain, this is Federation business to which we are not privy."

"Privy, my ass."

"Bones," Kirk said, holding up a hand. "Why would it be protected under that level of security, Mr. Spock, what do you think?"

Spock's eyebrow raised in the closest gesture the Vulcan had to a shrug. "Priority-level security is reserved for information which the Federation deems fit to keep near-secret. I am not in the game of guessing what that could be. It is, however, fascinating."

McCoy angrily threw his hands up. "Fascinating, he says. She could be dead, or some Federation experiment, but it's fascinating!"

"Doctor McCoy," Kirk said, reprovingly, but McCoy moved away from him toward the lift. He stepped after the doctor and grabbed his shoulders. "Bones, calm down. Go to your quarters and rest." McCoy began to angrily reply, but Kirk cut him off with a glare. "That's an order."

McCoy pursed his lips and stalked to the lift.

"Uhura," Kirk asked, turning back around. The bridge crew quickly faced their stations and pretended as if they weren't watching the scene with mouths agape. "Are we in range of station K12 yet?"

"No, sir."

"When we are, make arrangements to start the shore leave cycle for off-duty crewmen. And tell whoever's in charge that I'd like to speak to them about Federation activities in the area."

"Yes, Captain. And Captain-"

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"No new information from Starfleet about Mae," her tone was hesitant, "Do you think they-could they be hiding something?"

Kirk leaned heavily against the railing, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. "If I were another captain, I'd tell you to hold your tongue."

Uhura tilted her head, prompting.

The Captain sighed. "We've got to be careful assuming, Uhura. But I have to admit I agree with your concerns -it does seem rather suspicious." He looked around at the faces who were watching with varied levels of concern. "But we'll do what we can."

Giving what he hoped was a somewhat-reassuring smile, Kirk stood up. "Alright, everyone, back to work."

He sat heavily in the captain's chair, resting his chin on his fist. The bridge crew reluctantly turned back in their chairs, glancing at one another as they sensed the mounting tension in the air.

...

"Sir," Sulu said, breaking the silence, after a time, "we're nearing a planet. It's unmapped, and not in Federation records."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulu," Kirk, said glancing over to Spock.

He raised an eyebrow in reply. "It may be the planet Ms. Thompson mentioned in her communication."

"Any life signs?"

"Negative, sir. There are some ruins but they appear to be abandoned."

The Captain quickly weighed the options. "Either way, it's in the best interest of the Federation if we send an away team down to see what's there," Kirk said, mostly to himself. Aloud, he continued, "Uhura, I'll lead a team from security, four crewmen should be enough. We can't be too careful, since we don't know what's down there. Tell them to meet me in the transporter room."

"Captain Kirk!" a voice came from the arm of his chair.

"Kirk here."

"Captain, it's Doctor McCoy," Nurse Chapel said quickly, "he's not in his quarters or in sick bay, I don't know where he is."

Kirk frowned, "I'll be right there." He called down to engineering. "Scotty, drop what you're doing, you're leading an away team to the surface of this planet. Be careful, the Federation hasn't been here yet so we're not sure what's waiting for us."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Uhura, relay that to the transporter room, if you wouldn't mind."

"Captain, would you rather I lead the away team?" Spock asked.

"No, I want you here working with the data they send up. Tell me who lived there and why they're gone. Keep me updated, I'll be in sick bay."

He quickly made his way down to McCoy's quarters, right off the infirmary. "Bones," he called, "Bones, are you there?"

"He's here, Captain," he heard Nurse Chapel say, turning to see her standing with her hands on her hips in the door of sickbay. Beyond her, McCoy was sitting at the desk in the back corner of the room, his arms crossed and a scowl twisting his face. "I found him sitting in the lounge with that grumpy look on his face."

"What the hell were you doing?"

"I went for a walk to clear my head, what, is that a crime, now?" McCoy snapped back.

Kirk mirrored the chief medical officer's body language, crossing his arms and leaning forward. "We found a planet, may be the one Mae was talking about."

McCoy sat up straighter. "Really?"

"It's not yet mapped by the Federation, I sent Scotty down with an away team." He called the bridge. "Uhura, is that away team down yet?"

"They're on the surface, sir, and relaying information to Mr. Spock."

"They're there now, checking what's there."

"Any life signs?"

Kirk shook his head.

"So she's not down there."

"Not that we found."

McCoy lifted a fist as if to pound it on the desk in anger, but reason seemed to strike him as he thought better of it and slowly lowered the hand. "She's a smart girl," he said, a glimmer of what could be hope in his eyes, "always has been. She can handle herself, I know, I just wish I knew where she was."

"She didn't say anything specific about where she was going, what she was doing?"

"No."

"Did she say who she was with?" Nurse Chapel spoke up, a hand perched thoughtfully on her chin.

"She sent me a message about two months ago saying she was going on a survey mission to this quadrant, on the USS Lewis. I checked Starfleet records, and-"

"There is no Lewis," Kirk offered.

McCoy nodded. "Not officially."

"Bridge to Captain Kirk," the ship-wide intercom blared overhead, "Report to the bridge immediately."

"Bones, with me," Kirk ordered.

...

"An unidentified ship is approaching, warp seven," the helmsman reported.

"Any word from the away team?"

"They're still gathering data," Uhura replied.

"Tell them to be ready to beam up immediately. I don't want them stranded down there if that ship isn't good news."

"The ship's nearly here, Captain," Sulu called.

"Uhura, get that away team up here, now!"

"Yes, captain-"

"Captain, they have nearly completed transferring the data, an attempt to beam them up now would disrupt the transmission."

"Spock, are you seriously suggesting we leave them down there?"

Spock met Kirk's eyes evenly. "This is an opportunity we must not pass up."

Kirk frowned, not wanting to admit the Vulcan was right. "How much longer do you need?"

Spock glanced at his screen. "I am unsure, Captain."

The Captain held up his hand. "You have two minutes." He thumbed a switch on the arm of his chair. "Transporter room, be ready to get that team out of there on my mark."

"The ship has arrived, Captain," Sulu said, "Looks like a trade vessel, unmarked."

"On screen," Kirk commanded. "This isn't a trade route, what is it doing here?"

The bridge crew seemed to shrug at once.

"Try to raise it, Lieutenant," he said, to Uhura.

"No response, sir," she replied.

"Captain," he turned to face Spock, who continued, "The transmission has been interrupted. It appears the ship has scrambled our communication with the surface."

Kirk swore and slammed a hand on the arm of his chair. "Transporter room, can you get a lock on the away team?"

"Negative, sir, something is blocking it."

McCoy was standing silently behind the captain's chair, arms crossed as he scanned the screen for any answers. The doctor leaned forward. "Enhance the view of the hull, I think I see something." He squinted and suddenly swore. "I'll be damned, look at the name."

Kirk followed where he was pointing. "The Lewis."

"That would certainly explain why it does not appear in Starfleet records," Spock pointed out.

"We're being hailed," Uhura said, surprise obvious in her voice.

"On screen."

A man in dark, plain clothes -what looked to be the remains of a weathered and only partially intact uniform- stood with a small smile. "Greetings, Enterprise. Welcome to Lewis' Planet."

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Enterprise, who are you? Why are you interfering with our communications?"

"I am Xenon, captain of the Lewis. We interfere merely to gain your attention. And we've gained it."

"For what purpose, may I ask?" Kirk pursed his lips.

"We have captured five of your crew from the planet, Captain Kirk. If you wish them returned, you'll beam down to the surface. Alone."

The viewscreen went blank.

"Captain, we've got a signal from the away team. We've locked on to their coordinates."

"Beam them up, now," Kirk shouted. He turned to Spock. "Check the crew roster, get me the names of everyone who beamed down."

"Captain, he's taken them!" came a shout through the intercom.

"Scotty?" Kirk replied.

"Aye, Cap'n, the rest were captured, taken by that man who calls himself Xenon. I managed to get away and hail the Enterprise."

"Are you hurt, Scotty?"

"Just cuts and bruises, sir, but I'm afraid that-"

"Get to sick bay, Mr. Scott, we'll meet you there. Kirk, out."

"The four members of the away team are the only crewmen not accounted for, Captain," Spock said.

"But Xenon mentioned five, but Scotty is here. So who's the fifth?"

"Jim," McCoy breathed, hand reaching out for the captain's shoulder, "could it be-?"

"I suppose there's only one way to find out," Kirk mused. "Spock, you have the conn. Bones, go check out Scotty."

"If she's there, I want to-"

"No, Bones, I need you here. Besides, we don't know what Xenon is planning, and I'm not sure I want to risk testing his definition of 'alone.'"

"Captain," Spock said, as Kirk turned to leave, "Jim-"

His tone caught Kirk's ear, and he looked to the Vulcan.

"This may very well be a trap," he said.

Kirk gave a small smile. "I know, Spock," he looked to the viewscreen at the little green orb that was floating below them, "but that's my crew on the line."

...

Kirk materialized on the surface, phaser drawn. He looked around:

Rolling hills surrounded him, full of rocks and swirling dust. A dim green haze hung in the air, emitted from the few plants which emerged from the dry earth.

There was nothing around, though he could see something in the distance -likely the ruins they'd seen on the initial scan. He started moving toward them, eyes on the horizon for any sign of movement.

A sound behind him made him turn and frown at the faces who materialized before him. "I told you to stay on the ship."

"I realize that, Captain," Mr. Spock said, stepping forward, "and it is my duty as first officer to ensure you do not rush blindly into danger."

"Directly disobeying my orders," Kirk managed to hide his smile, but not his awe, "how human of you."

"I know, he's slipping," McCoy said.

Spock said nothing in reply, merely raising his eyebrow sternly and scanning their surroundings with his tricorder.

"Bones," Kirk began, but the doctor held up a hand.

"I'll break your fingers if you try to order me back to the ship, so don't even think about it."

"You heard Xenon-" Kirk began.

"Xenon be damned," the doctor snapped. "We weren't going to let you do this alone."

Kirk glanced up, and quipped, "You two agree on something, yet the sky isn't falling." They sent him mirroring scowls and he sobered. "Let's not keep Captain Xenon waiting any longer."

They walked a few steps more before Spock halted. "Captian, I'm reading life signs all around us."

"They've surrounded us," Kirk murmured, before the man who called himself Xenon appeared in front of them. Heads arose from the hills around them and it quickly became clear how outnumbered the three men were.

...

"Captain Kirk," Xenon called, "A pleasure to speak face to face, finally. I've read so much about you."

Kirk cast diplomatic niceties aside. "Where are my crewmen, Xenon?"

"In the city," he replied, pointing to the ruins. "They haven't been harmed -much. One put up quite a fight."

Kirk felt McCoy stiffen behind him, and ground his jaw. "What is it you want, Xenon?"

"Nothing so trivial as money, I assure you. An action."

"What action?"

Xenon ushered the three men toward the ruins. "From your Federation. A cease in exploration of this quadrant, specifically this planet."

"You sound like a man with something to hide," McCoy snapped.

"Bones," the captain hissed. Then, to Xenon, "The Federation has no current exploration missions here, Xenon, this whole quadrant hasn't been mapped."

The other captain laughed coldly. "You cannot fool me, Kirk, what of your crew on the surface? Gathering samples, analyzing the ore -our ore. We found weeks of data in the hands of the woman, yet you claim no knowledge?"

Kirk kept his hands flat against his sides to keep from curling them into fists. The crumbling walls of the ruined city loomed up before them, and he turned to face Xenon, a hard edge to his jaw.

"There is no exploration," he insisted, "no officially sanctioned research mission. The only analysis we've collected is of our own merit, our own curiosity." He stepped forward, ignoring the armed guards who moved forward threateningly. "Return our crew and we'll part ways."

"It can't be that easy, Kirk, you understand," Xenon said, chuckling.

"My crew has no part in Starfleet decisions, let them return to the ship."

Xenon considered for a moment, then called to one of his guards, "Bring the prisoners." He turned back, "Listen, Captain, I don't want to have to kill your crew, I really don't. But believe me when I say I will, if you leave me no choice."

Five figures shuffled into view, hands bound behind their back. Kirk recognized four of the faces, but the fifth –though he'd never seen it before, the piercing blue eyes and harsh scowl was familiar.

The woman's lip and nose were bloody, obvious remnants of a brush with her guards.

"Mae," McCoy whispered, and made to move forward. Spock, without thinking, grabbed his shoulder to hold him in place, and the doctor bristled but stayed still.

"Should I allow you a moment to contemplate the choice?" Xenon asked.

"You won't kill anyone," Captain Kirk snapped, "You'll let them go. What do you hope to gain from this, Xenon? Do you think the Federation will let you walk away after you've threatened my crew?"

The woman in irons looked at the back of Xenon's head, furrowed her eyebrows in a split-second decision. And launched herself forward.

Head down, she drove her shoulder into the captain's side, bowling him over. The other four captives acted likewise, grappling with the other guards before they managed to get a shot off.

Kirk found a guard's fist swinging towards him and ducked in time to dodge, returning the swing and, in the process, dropping his phaser. Spock appeared at his side, deftly pulling him out of the fray.

The Captain scrambled at his side to find his communicator. "Enterprise, come in!"

"Uhura here."

"Stand by to beam us up, on my mark."

"Acknowledged," a note of panic entered her voice, "What's happening, sir?"

"Just tell them to be ready!" Kirk shouted, dropping the communicator and jumping to aid McCoy, who was struggling to make his way through the wall of guards who'd formed around Xenon. The other captain had his fists raised to pummel the figure below him.

McCoy managed to break through and grab Xenon's collar, pulling him off only to take an elbow to the chin and go down hard.

"Spock, get them clear," Kirk shouted, and Spock shouldered his tricorder, silently moving toward the crewmen with communicator at the ready.

"Lock on to my coordinates, five to beam up."

They vanished and Kirk breathed a half-hearted sigh of relief before turning to find Xenon with his hands at McCoy's throat.

Spluttering, the doctor clawed at the man's wrists with a weakening grip. Behind them, the remaining captive drug herself away, having managed to contort herself so that her bound hands were at her chest.

Kirk knocked Xenon to the side and McCoy fell back.

"Enough," Kirk shouted. He put himself in between the two men, hands outstretched. "Don't push this further, Xenon." He reached a hand for the woman on the ground, who took it without looking up. He pulled her to her feet and seized McCoy's arm, pulling the two back and keeping them behind him.

"Coward," Xenon spat, "Turn tail and run back to your precious Starfleet!"

Freeing a hand but keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Xenon, Kirk flipped open his communicator. "Enterprise, get us out of here."

"Run, Captain Kirk," Xenon shouted, blood and spittle flying from his lips, "You won't get far!"

...

"Captain," Spock stepped forward, as they materialized in the transporter room.

Kirk waved him off, reaching for the intercom. "Kirk to the bridge."

"Bridge here."

"Get us out of here, pick a direction, pick any warp you want, just get us out of here."

"Ye-yes, Captain."

"No," gasped the woman behind him, "you can't leave here, you can't let Xenon-"

"Mae-" McCoy began, but she stumbled off the platform toward the captain.

"Please, you don't know what they'd do-"

"Mae, sit down," McCoy grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. After a moment of struggle, she met his eyes and her jaw dropped.

"Uncle Leonard?"

McCoy's face cracked into the first grin Kirk had seen in days. He pulled her into a hug as she said, "It's really you? You got my message, you really came for me."

"Of course, m'dear." He looked up and smiled at the Captain. "Jim, this is-"

"Mae, yes," Kirk said, wiping sweat and dirt from his face. "And I've got plenty of questions for you, but first," he grimaced, "I think it's best for us to sit down."

"Captain," Mae's tone turned serious again, "please, you don't understand, the planet cannot fall into Xenon's hands. It's being explored by the Federation for-"

Kirk threw up his hands. "How many times today have I heard that?"

"It's classified, Captain, all the files are accessible only by top-level Starfleet personnel. No one knows about it, and no one will, if it's successful."

"What's the mission?" McCoy asked.

"To explore the quadrant," Mae replied, "the planet specifically. And what we found...It's a gold mine."

"A gold mine?" asked Spock.

"Not gold," she corrected, "but the ores here, it's beyond imagination. Enough to keep the Federation in control of the market for years. But the planet's unclaimed, the quadrant unexplored. Xenon caught wind of the plan, he's been tailing me for months."

"What about your ship?" Kirk asked, "There's record of a shuttle in your name at the K12 station, but nothing more."

She looked away. "I had a disagreement with command."

"What of Xenon? How did he find out?"

"He was the command." She crossed her arms. "The first officer and head of security. The captain put him in charge, or at least that's what he told us, and he-took the vessel. The Lewis. Ordered us to expunge our records and tell the Federation we found nothing."

"And the captain?"

"He beamed down to the surface with the first away team, didn't come back. When I made my way down, I found his body -some security personnel loyal to Xenon killed him."

"A coup," Spock supplied.

"A sort of coup, I guess," Mae affirmed. "I couldn't just keep quiet, so I hid my notes away and escaped to the surface."

"But we scanned the surface, it was lifeless."

"Underground caves," she replied. "Scanners don't penetrate through the surface. They didn't find me, until your team beamed down. I came out to see who it was, and Xenon's men jumped me."

"What can we do?" McCoy asked.

"Get everyone to sickbay," Kirk ordered. "Get far away from this quadrant -I assume you kept your notes safe?"

Mae managed a smile, fresh blood leaking from her nose. "The notes they took from me were only partial copies, the originals," she reached into her shirt and pulled out a thin, square chip, "are here."

"That's my girl," McCoy smiled gruffly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, to sickbay, everyone. That includes you, Jim."

"I need to-Starfleet-"

"Xenon doesn't have the notes," McCoy waved off his attempts, taking Mae's hand in one of his and Kirk's shoulder in the other, and steering them both to the door. "Sickbay first, then cross the bridge of explaining what the hell is going on to Federation. And we've got catching up to do. Doctor's orders."

Kirk allowed himself to be pushed, glancing helplessly back at Spock.

"If you'd like to try to explain, Mr. Spock, you're welcome to."

"I believe I'll leave that to you, Captain," the Vulcan replied, raising an eyebrow, "Xenon has made it quite clear you and he are now the greatest of enemies."

"You really think so?"

Spock's words floated down the corridor after them. "You should be honored, Captain, that is a great show of respect in many cultures."

"I don't feel very respected," Kirk mumbled, and McCoy snorted.

"Yeah, my nose doesn't either," Mae scowled, "And you didn't even have to serve under him."

The Captain chuckled the rest of the way to the infirmary.


	2. Field Notes

McCoy ducked a head through the door to his office, glancing at the figure of his niece, nodding over the screen in the corner of sickbay.

A stern scowl fought through his smile. "You look like you haven't slept," he called, and Mae Thompson started awake. McCoy set a cup of coffee down on the table next to her, taking a swig of his own as he waited for a reply.

She yawned. "That depends, what time is it?"

"Around oh-nine hundred hours."

Mae sat back, rubbing her temples and reaching blindly for her coffee. "Then, well spotted: no, I haven't slept." She looked up. "Looks like you haven't, either, Doc."

He scowled. "It's my job to tell my crew to sleep, not the other way around." His manner softened, "'Specially my own niece. What are you doing here, Mae, really?"

She took another sip of her coffee in place of answering.

"A historian, volunteering to a deep-space research mission to uncharted territory?"

"It wasn't uncharted, Uncle Leonard," she said quietly, and pressed her hands against her eyes. "I'm trying to remember, but those caves-I was alone down there for," she struggled to recall, "for weeks. Something about the planet-"

McCoy set his coffee down and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't strain yourself, m'dear, just rest."

"I can't rest," she insisted, "it's in my notes, somewhere. I've been scouring them for hours, I'll find it, I have to."

"Mae," the doctor insisted, "rest, doctor's orders."

"You forget, Doctor, I'm not part of your crew," she replied, leaning back into the notes.

He started to angrily spout a reply when the door hissed open, and the Captain appeared.

"Jim, tell this blasted woman to cooperate."

Kirk blinked. "Bones, that blasted woman is your niece, and, if she's anything like her uncle, I'm sure I couldn't get her to cooperate if I tried. Ensign Thompson, we've received a response from Starfleet concerning the Lewis and her captain."

Mae stood, swayed dizzily, and sat quickly back down. "What did they say?"

"I'm afraid you're not going to like it," Kirk crossed his arms. "The admiral I spoke to refused to give me any information about the mission, didn't say it existed, wouldn't tell me who was involved. I mentioned the Lewis and Xenon, and the death of the

former captain, and all they gave me was a simple order."

"Well, what was it?" Mae leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed.

"He said to report to K12 at once to turn in your field notes. There will be a ship waiting to return you to Earth."

"What?" she gasped, "They're just going to take my notes and-and rush me back to the Academy, like nothing happened?"

"Mae, calm down," McCoy ordered, pulling Kirk aside. "Jim, we can't-"

"I know, Bones, but we have our orders."

"There's something here, Jim, something they're trying to cover up."

"Bones, we can't make that kind of accusation without proof," Kirk admonished.

"Captain," Mae said, and Kirk turned back to her. She threaded her fingers around the back of the chair, struggling to find the words. "I want to say thank you, for saving my life. And I'll go to the starbase, I won't put you in a difficult position."

"Mae-"

"Uncle Leonard, what else can I do? If they want to ship me off, I can't stop them. I can only give them my side of what happened. I just-can't remember it, yet."

"What's this?" Kirk asked, brow furrowed.

"When she was underground, Jim, to get away from Xenon. Something made her forget. I suppose it's possible the brain will purposefully block out the memories if they're too difficult."

"Too difficult?"

"Something she found on the planet, something she's trying to remember."

"We'll arrive at K12 in 36 hours," the Captain said, concern coloring his attempt at a stern enforcement of Starfleet orders. "I'll be honest, I don't like this any more than you do. Something about it smells off, but we don't have a choice. You've got 36 hours and the full extent of the Enterprise's resources to figure out what you're missing."

"Thank you, Captain," Mae said, "for everything."

"Of course, Miss Thompson, family of Bones is family of ours."

"C'mon, Mae, let's go," McCoy pulled her upright.

"Go where, I need to-"

"You need to eat, is what you need." Kirk stepped out of the way as the doctor half-dragged his niece out the door. "We're going to the mess hall, care to join us, Captain?"

"Oh, I-"

"That was an order, Jim, you're just as much a stubborn pain in my neck as she is."

Kirk raised his eyebrows at Mae, who sighed back, "Here's hoping the food is better than the rations they forced on us on the Lewis."

...

"The hell is this?" she asked, a few minutes later, as a plate was shoved in front of her by the doctor.

"It's grits," McCoy replied. "And watch your mouth, your mother raised you better than that."

Mae scooped a spoonful of the mush up and watched it flop back to the plate. "Mmmm."

"So, Ensign Thompson, your marks at the Academy were well above average. What did you study, history?"

"Yes, Captain, history of Starfleet activity in the surrounding quadrants. That's why I was chosen for this mission, because I had the background."

"Chosen?" McCoy echoed, "I thought you volunteered?"

She shook her head. "No, I and a few other students in my class were chosen because of our backgrounds in history, geology, chemistry, biology, the like."

"Did you have Jemison as an instructor?" Kirk asked, resting his elbows on the table. "In early exploration?"

"Yeah," Mae grinned, "she was one of my favorites."

"I can't believe she's still teaching," the Captain mused. "It's been years..."

McCoy rolled his eyes as the two began to talk about the ins and outs of early Mars colonization.

"Bridge to Captain Kirk."

"Praise the lord," McCoy muttered.

"Kirk here," he sent a friendly glare to the doctor as he responded.

"Sir, Admiral Goldman to speak with you."

"Pipe it down to the conference room on deck three, have Spock meet me there." He looked up, "Bones."

Bones stood, placing a firm hand on Mae's shoulder. "Promise me you'll eat and rest before launching back into those notes."

"Fine, Uncle Leonard," Mae grudgingly admitted, leaning into him with a grateful smile.

...

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Kirk said, disbelieving.

The woman on screen was stern and gray-haired, her lips turned down in a severe frown. "Thompson will report to starbase K12 and hand over her notes."

"Respectfully, Admiral, it sounds as if she's a criminal," Kirk wondered, "May I ask what she's done to merit such treatment?"

"It's classified, Kirk."

"She's on my ship, a possible danger to my crew," Kirk's voice hardened slightly, "In this case, I'd ask for it to be declassified."

Goldman gave a sharp huff of breath. "She disobeyed Starfleet orders, beamed down to a planet without authority, remained there-"

"What about Xenon?" McCoy asked.

Goldman fixed her icy stare on him. "Xenon was appointed after the previous Captain did much the same thing as Ensign Thompson. He beamed to the planet's surface to lead an away team and his actions became erratic. There was an accident, and he was killed."

"What do you mean, erratic?"

"We believe it was caused by a gas on the planet, emitted from the ground, which leads to hallucinations. I'm sure Ensign Thompson is suffering from similar visions, which would explain her behavior."

"I didn't find anything wrong with her, other than a broken nose, which the captain you appointed gave to her-" McCoy snapped, and would have continued had Kirk not held up a hand.

"Admiral," Spock spoke up, "we did not find any gas upon our scans of the planet-"

"It's there, I assure you," the Admiral's expression didn't change. She turned her attention back to the Captain. "You will enter her into my custody on K12, when you arrive, and she will be out of your hands."

"Admiral, I-"

She held up a finger, silencing him. "You have your orders."

The screen went blank.

After a moment, McCoy sat back in his chair. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Spock, was there any chance we could have missed that gas?"

"Doubtful, Captain," he replied. "It is strange the Admiral would have mentioned it."

"Strange how?" Kirk pushed.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "It would appear she is attempting to use this falsified gas to, as the human saying goes, 'cover her tracks.'"

"What tracks?"

"Unknown, Captain," he paused, "Though it must be significant, if it resulted in the Admiral deemed it better to falsify information."

...

Mae sat, her back to the door, hunched again over her notes. Pouring over every detail, struggling to remember what eluded her.

One passage in particular troubled her. She clearly remembered writing it, remembered thinking it would be important.

But for the life of her, she couldn't remember why.

There was a quiet hiss behind her and she called, "Uncle Leonard, I know it's here somewhere. I'm so close, I can-"

She turned, and her breath caught in her throat.

The harsh smile, dark eyes, so dark you couldn't see what the man was thinking. His teeth were far too sharp, his shoulders seemed to grow broader and fill more of the room, even as she watched.

"No," she whispered, taking a step forward in an attempt at bravery.

"My, my, Mae, aren't we in trouble," Xenon hissed.

"How are you here?" she replied, standing her ground despite the fear that shook through her knees, "You can't be here."

He spread his arms. "You see me, don't you?"

"I'm-I've got to be imagining-"

"That planet was interesting, wasn't it?" he continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "You and your team gathered plenty of notes, well done, I'm sure."

Mae took a step back until her hip brushed the desk. Can't let him take the notes, can't let him get his hands on them-

"The Admiral was very impressed. She's speaking to the Captain now."

"She won't fool him," Mae grit her teeth, "He'll-"

"He'll what?" Xenon asked, slowly closing the distance between them. It was all she could do not to lean back farther. "You think he'll listen to you? Ensign Nobody, who can't even remember the notes she took but a few days ago."

"Stop-"

"When you get to the starbase," Xenon was grinning, tongue flicking out to lick his lips like a snake eyeing a mouse, "you know what will happen. You know what she'll do to the Enterprise, if she thinks they've been helping you, harboring you."

"Stop, please-"

"Can you feel it approaching?" he asked, leaning close to her face. She smelled his rank breath, closed her eyes, fingers clutching the chip with her notes, her last redeeming notes. "Look upon thy death-"

"Stop!"

She woke at the shout, drenched in sweat, arms draped over the computer as if she meant to protect it with her body.

McCoy was shaking her shoulder. "Mae, Mae, wake up."

She was breathing heavy, like she'd been running. Absently, the doctor turned her around and ran a scanner across her chest. "Your heartbeat's all over the place, take some deep breaths -try to calm down."

Mae grabbed his arm. "Please, Leonard, we have to turn back."

"What?"

"The station, the Admiral-" She struggled for words. "Beam me aboard, but stay back. I'll go willingly, I won't put up a fight. Please, just stay back."

The door hissed open again and the Captain entered, looking tired. At Mae's pale face, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Ensign, are you alright?"

"No, Jim," McCoy answered for her, "she's under enough stress to kill a Mugato, she must have had a bad dream-"

Mae had buried her face in her hands, and was running a line over and over in her head. It seemed so familiar on her tongue, she couldn't place why-

"I have half a mind to order you to your quarters," Kirk said, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk, and musing to himself, "of course, you don't have any."

"What did the Admiral say?" Mae asked, clearing her throat to remove the tremor from her voice.

"Admiral Goldman ordered you to report to starbase K12," Kirk said gently, "to turn in your notes, and-"

"And enter into custody," McCoy finished, unceremoniously, "Jim, they mean to lock her up."

"Bones," Kirk stopped him. "Thompson, was there any gas discovered on the surface?"

"Gas?" she replied, "Other than the atmospheric, no."

"Underground?"

"No, sir, none that we read."

"So she was lying," McCoy snapped, "C'mon, Jim, you must think-"

"I'm thinking plenty, Bones," Kirk replied, "let me do it in peace."

McCoy scowled, reaching across the desk for a towel to mop the sweat off Mae's forehead.

"Look upon thy death," the words finally spilled out of her mouth, entering the air and sitting there. Mae regarded them with furrowed eyebrows. "Look upon thy death."

"Romeo and Juliet," Kirk identified, absently.

"What?"

"Look upon thy death, it's a line from 'Romeo and Juliet,'" he clarified. "By Ty-"

"Tybalt!" Mae suddenly sat straight up in the chair.

"Yes," Kirk smiled, despite himself, "a fan of Shakespeare?"

"The Tybalans!" Mae called, as a way of reply. She turned back to the screen, scanning until she found the passage, and reading, "Ten years gone. Look upon thy death. Tell no one."

"What does that mean?" McCoy asked, hands on his hips as he wondered if his niece had turned into a babbling wreck.

"I remember, I remember now," she said, desperately, "the Tybalans, oh, it's all so clear now! How close are we to K12?"

"Very," Kirk replied, "Within a few minutes, we'll arrive."

"We can't arrive, I can't let the Enterprise get close enough to be in the way."

The Captain's eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry?"

"I need to speak to the Admiral," realizing she had forgotten who she was speaking to, she added, "Please, Captain Kirk, it's life or death."

Kirk glanced at McCoy, who shrugged back.

After a moment, he nodded. "Come up to the bridge, we'll raise the Admiral and you can say your piece."

"And if no one believes me, I'll go willingly, I promise, Captain," Mae insisted, taking the chip with her notes and holding it to her chest. "But I'm putting up a fight, first."

...

"Captain, I thought I told you to release Ensign Thompson into my custody."

"I will," Kirk said, thinking fast, "we just thought we'd have a chat first from up here."

The woman had her hands clasped on her desk tight enough to make the knuckles a bloodless white. The bridge crew stared from Kirk to Admiral, and back again, watching the shared glares as if they were watching volleys in a tennis match.

"Admiral Goldman," Mae spoke up, stepping forward to stand next to Sulu. The helmsman glanced at her and saw her hands were shaking, though her voice was steady. "I know what you're trying to do, and I ask only that you leave the Enterprise and her crew out of this."

"You're not in any position-"

"Admiral, please," Mae clenched her fists, "I know you led the exploration of this quadrant."

There was a beat of silence.

"What are you talking about." A statement more than a question.

Mae knew she had the woman's attention.

"A decade ago, the Federation ordered the exploration of this quadrant. You were one of the first outsiders to arrive at the planet, and you discovered how rich in ore it was-"

"Thompson, stop this at once."

"The only problem was the inhabitants-" Mae continued, "They wouldn't cooperate. Didn't want to give away what was rightfully theirs. So you made it seem as if they attacked you, and launched an assault. You destroyed their cities, Admiral," Mae clasped her hands behind her back and took a step toward the Captain. "She killed so many of the people."

"The Tybalans," he said, understanding what she'd spoken of before. "Admiral, is this true?"

"Of course not," Goldman spluttered, "this is ridiculous-"

"The ruins we saw on the surface could easily have been caused by a Federation starship," Spock said, turning from the readings he'd been examining at the science station. "There were burns similar to those caused by phasers on the ground nearby."

"It's true," Mae said, staring intently at the Admiral, watching her expression morph into rage.

Silence. Finally, "How did you-?"

"All the files have the highest-level security clearance," Mae nodded, "it wasn't easy. Some of the highest Admirals in Starfleet don't even know about this, you kept it well hidden. But I was tasked with researching this quadrant, and some things slipped through the cracks.

"I found mention of Tybalans, but I've never heard of them before. There's barely any record left. But with an Admiral's clearance, doors seem to open."

"Wha-"

"It's simple to bypass security when you say you're doing a personal errand for an Admiral." Mae narrowed her eyes. "I found what I could, but didn't believe it. But the evidence was there -a thriving culture, destroyed by one Starfleet Admiral's greed."

"Stop this right now," the Admiral snapped.

"I shared my suspicions with the captain, but Xenon found out and-"

"Silence!"

She faced Kirk. "By the time I beamed down to the surface to confirm, he was dead. Xenon's men had killed him, and I was next, so I hid in the caves.

"It was all there on the surface, right in front of our eyes. But no one wanted to believe it."

"Captain Kirk, stop her," Goldman ordered.

"Admiral Goldman, I think you've said enough." He turned, "Uhura, call K12 security. Have them escort Goldman into custody."

Uhura was shaken, as everyone, but nodded.

Mae had retreated to McCoy's side, and he regarded her with eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline. "You found all that from a bunch of history textbooks?"

"And classified files, yes," she answered, still shaking.

He wrapped an arm around her and led her to the lift.

"Thompson, I'll kill you," Goldman roared from the viewscreen, as security flooded the room and grabbed her arms, "I won't rest until-"

Mae turned, and snapped, "For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard." Her exhaustion began to catch up with her as she snapped a faux-salute. "If you wanted to get away with such a heinous crime, you shouldn't have left a paper trail."

The doors to the lift slid shut behind them and McCoy looked at her with a quiet laugh. "I'll be damned, you really are your mother's daughter, through and through."

...

Kirk stepped down from the transporter platform with a groan. "Scotty, I believe I need a stiff drink."

"Aye, Cap'n," the engineer said, with a little smile.

"I trust the talks were successful, Captain?" Spock asked.

"Yes, yes, everything's sorted out." He glanced at Mae, who stood against the wall, silently. "Goldman confessed to the whole thing, Starfleet is in the process of tracking down Xenon and the rouge crew of the Lewis."

She nodded. "Good."

He regarded her with half-narrowed eyes. "Did you really dig all that up, all from records of Starfleet history?"

"Not entirely, Captain," she colored slightly and looked down, "I'll admit I may have broken regulation a bit when I acquired the Admiral's permission."

"Oh?"

"She accessed the system remotely while stationed on starbase K12," Spock answered, "by entering Goldman's quarters and using the Admiral's personal computer."

Kirk did a double-take. "Really?"

She shrugged. "I did what I had to."

Scotty made no attempt to hide his snort of laughter. Even Kirk couldn't hide his own amusement. Spock merely raised an eyebrow.

"I assume they'll order me back to the Academy, now?" Mae asked, finally meeting the Captain's eyes.

"Actually, I've got your new orders right here," Kirk handed her a tablet, and smirked as her eyes scanned the screen, growing wider by the line.

"Captain, there-there must be some mistake," she managed.

"I hope not," Kirk said, with a smile, "I organized them myself."

"Captain?" Spock asked.

"Well, I simply said we could use an ensign with such skills on our crew, and suggested Miss Thompson would do the trick."

"Oh, Captain-" Mae beamed, "Does Uncle Leonard know?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll be anxious to hear them," Kirk grinned.

"Oh, and Ensign," he said, before Mae turned to go, "that was an impressive speech you gave the Admiral."

She gave a lopsided smile. "Thank you, Captain, though it could have been better. I hold all of you somewhat at fault for that."

"How so?" Kirk asked, surprised.

"My face was black and blue through the whole thing, no one told me," she said, prodding it, "It would have seemed a lot more impressive if my nose wasn't lopsided."

She flashed another grin before hurrying out the door, towards sickbay.

"She has a point, Captain," Scotty laughed.

"What do you think, Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked, leaning against the console and smiling.

"I believe a quote from your Shakespeare would be appropriate," he began, "'Though she be but little, she is fierce.'"

"How poetic of you, Mr. Spock. Well chosen."


End file.
